Around the Corner
by GGMK
Summary: Ten years have passed since Ash Ketchum began his Pokémon journey. Now, the journey has ended, and Ash has become restless. Maybe growing up wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Shippers beware. Written for Writers Anonymous 10 Year Challenge


The alarm clock rang loudly at the crack of dawn, as it was programmed to do, but it was ignorant of the fact that no one was sleeping for it to rouse.

Ash Ketchum, who had been calmly sitting under a tree in his backyard with his Pikachu, glanced bemusedly at his house. He kept leaving himself mental reminders to stop setting the alarm, but he always forgot. That's what he got for getting up every morning before daybreak.

"You'd think that the older I got, the more I would want to sleep in," Ash muttered to Pikachu, who gave him an understanding smile, as always. No matter what the two went through, the bright smile was a constant. The only time Ash could remember Pikachu refuse to smile was when they first met, those ten years ago.

Ten years. Ash whistled as he realized how long it had been since he became a Pokémon trainer. So much had changed, and yet Ash didn't necessarily feel different. He had recently hit the big twenty, but part of him still felt like that same eager kid who had stayed up as late as his mother would allow him the night before he would receive his first Pokémon.

He missed that sense of excitement, never knowing what was around the next corner. There wasn't much adventure to be had lately. Maybe that just happened when one became an adult.

Ash stood up, stretching his arms, hearing the satisfying noise his muscles made. "C'mon, buddy. What do ya say to some breakfast?" Pikachu leapt on to Ash's shoulders, which was his seal of approval. It didn't take a Pokémon translator to figure that one out.

As the trainer removed his sneakers at the front door, he glanced up at the various plaques and trophies he kept on a cabinet near the coat rack. _Well_ , Ash mused, _I might feel like that same kid, but my skills have definitely improved._

The trophy he was most proud of wasn't the golden one that proclaimed him to be the Pokémon Champion of the Kanto Region, or the large platinum trophy that he received when he defeated the champion of Sinnoh.

No, the one he would cherish always was something seemingly ordinary. It was an dusty baseball, but if one were to inspect it closely, they'd see something scribbled in black marker. It read: **You actually beat me, Ashy-boy! Man, luck must run in your family.**

Gary Oak had finally acknowledged his skills. Somehow, it mattered to Ash a lot more than any acknowledgement from the Elite Four. Gary wasn't one to dole out praise unless he really meant it.

"I need to go visit Gary one of these days, but between all the challenges I get, and his research, it seems we never get to do anything more than trade the occasional E-mail." Pikachu rubbed his red cheek against Ash's, offering his condolences – or perhaps reminding his trainer that breakfast had been promised.

Ash shook a can of Pokémon food into Pikachu's bowl, and gave himself five pancakes. His mother would probably scold him for gorging on food, but his appetite hadn't slowed down.

"Probably not as good as Brock's cooking, huh? I honestly think that if his gym ever shut down, he could probably open a restaurant." That brought him back. He really missed Brock's cooking, but Pewter City was miles away, and Ash didn't make as much money as many people assumed the Kanto Champion did. After all, no one had to pay him for a battle; the only money he got was from the government occasionally.

He was halfway into his fourth syrup-drenched pancake when his cell phone rang. When he had bought his phone, it didn't take even a few minutes to decide that he wanted the deluxe Pikachu version. Like the name implied, it was bright yellow with orange stripes, and if you set it to vibrate, it emitted a very mild electrical shock to alert you of any texts.

"Ash Ketchum speaking." He never used his full title; it made him feel stuffy and inapproachable.

"Ash, please don't tell me what I saw on the news was true!" Ash grinned when he heard Misty's voice. His friend hadn't called in a few weeks, presumably busy running her gym slash aquarium.

"Nice to hear you too," Ash teased, easily falling back into their old routine. The two just couldn't stop bickering and teasing each other, although nowadays their arguments had much less venom to them.

Misty ignored him. "So I was watching the morning news a few minutes ago, and they were talking about some crazy stunt someone pulled last night. Some nut jumped into a burning house to save a baby Oddish, and almost died in the process. There I am, thinking to myself that the crazy person can't be Ash, because of course, Ash has grown up and isn't the same impulsive kid from ten years ago, but lo and behold, they show your face on the TV."

Ash had slowly moved the phone away from his poor ringing ear, while sheepishly rubbing the back of his head with his other hand. "Heh heh, Cerulean City is already playing that on the news?" Misty huffed on the other end of the line. "C'mon Misty, I couldn't just leave the Oddish to die. You know me better than that!" Misty sighed on the other end; he could barely make out the sound of water in the background.

"You're right. It would be dumb of me to be surprised that you pulled a stunt like that. What surprised me was that you didn't use any water Pokémon!" Ash cringed; guilty as charged!

* * *

Ash remembered how he had been walking home from the nearby PokéMart, where he had purchased some Rare Candy to treat his Pokémon. It was Pikachu who had first smelled smoke, and not long after, the sounds of sirens could be heard.

"I wonder what's going on…" Curiosity getting the better of him, Ash followed the commotion to a house, which had been surrounded by at least four fire trucks. A young girl was on the ground, crying her eyes out.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Ash gave the girl a big grin to show that he meant no harm. She tearfully pointed at her house.

"My Oddish is trapped inside, and I don't think the firemen will be able to put out the fire in time!" She wiped at her eyes as her voice cracked. "It's a grass type, which means that if the fire touches it -!" She began to sob, not noticing the determined glint in Ash's eyes.

Kneeling down, Ash let Pikachu jump off his shoulder. He couldn't put his best friend in danger. Looking at the house, he estimated that he would only have a few short minutes. It struck him that what he was planning to do was stupid, and something ten-year-old him would have done. Grinning, Ash slid his cap backwards, getting into the mood, before dashing into the house.

One of the firemen reached out to grab him, but years of exploring the Pokémon world had left him very spry, and he twisted around the well-meaning man's grasp. After that, it was all heat and confusion. Ash had enough foresight to have covered his face with a cloth, the one he used to clean his Pokéballs every week.

"Hey, Oddish!" Ash strained his ears, but he didn't hear a reply. He briefly wondered if it was too late. But no, he wouldn't think like that! "Oddi-" Ash yelped as he stumbled over something. Rubbing his scraped arm, Ash glared back at the rock that had tripped him – only it wasn't a rock, it was Oddish!

"There you are," Ash breathed in relief. "I know someone outside who'll be really happy to see you. C'mon, let's get out of here." Ash stretched his arm towards the Oddish, who jumped on Ash's hand. By then, the smoke had begun to obscure everything in Ash's vision, and it was only luck that got him out of the burning house safely.

* * *

Back in the present, Ash chewed on a hangnail. "Um, would you believe I just forgot?" Misty growled. "Hey, it was a tense and stressful situation!" Misty was one of the only people he knew that could intimidate him even across whole cities. In person, watch out!

"…I guess I can't stay too mad at you," Misty mumbled. "I really do get worried, you know. You're not as young as you used to be." Ash grinned, seeing an opportunity.

"Neither are you, for that matter." He could totally see Misty fuming.

"Wha? How dare you? If anything, I'm more beautiful than ever!" Ash wouldn't admit it, but she wasn't just whistling Dixie. After turning 18 (and after her sisters had forced her to take over the gym), Misty had let her hair grow long, and more often than not would wear a mermaid-style costume during her gym battles. The getup included sea-shell bras, and Ash wondered if that was part of the reason the Cerulean Gym had gained lots of business since Misty took over.

More to change the subject than out of curiosity, Ash asked, "How are your sisters doing?" He knew that Misty didn't share the same interests as her sisters half the time.

"Oh, you know." Misty definitely sounded flustered. "They're still trying to set me up with, and I quote, my future husband."

"They haven't given up yet?" The three divas had once even tried to pair up Ash and Misty. Granted, the two had briefly dated, but had soon called it off. It was ironic: almost everyone Ash knew had been telling him that he and Misty would be the perfect couple, because they were so alike. In the end, it was their similar hot-headed nature, and temper, that had caused them to split. They enjoyed each other's company, but as a couple? They'd never agree on anything!

"Apparently, tag-team gyms are the new popular thing," Misty said, grounding out the last few words. "Three guesses who my hypothetical partner would be. Man, so much can change in ten years. I miss the simple days, where you didn't need two gym leaders."

Ash very much wanted to comment on how that last comment made her sound like an old lady, but he didn't want to get grilled more, so he simply bid Misty a good day before stretching out his arms. Pikachu climbed on his back, holding the daily newspaper in his mouth.

"Thanks, buddy." Ash unfolded the paper, and was mostly met with stories about mysterious legendary Pokémon. The only report to catch his eyes was about two thieves and their Meowth that had been apprehended by the Officer Jennies after attempting to kidnap a rich person's Dragonite.

Ash shook his head. Those three just never learned, even after a decade of having their butts handed to them. Still, he could never bring himself to really dislike them, inept as they were.

Feeling bored again, and trying to avoid doing chores, Ash flicked on the TV set. He was about to change the channel, which was some boring news station, but a breaking headline caught his attention. He grinned!

* * *

The next morning, Ash came to a decision. Locking all the doors and windows of his house, he packed six Pokéballs, bought a new bike, and rode like the wind to the outskirts of his town, with Pikachu happily riding in the front basket.

"Its fun being the Kanto champion," Ash confided in his partner. "But nothing beats exploring new places. I hear that a new region was discovered the other day, and I'm just itching to catch some new Pokémon!" Pikachu cried out in agreement, and Ash rode off to a new land, hoping the next ten years would be just as awesome as the last. He didn't know what would be around the corner – but that's what made it exciting!

* * *

 **Author's Comments:**

I'm not as big a _Pokémon_ fan as I used to be, but I feel nostalgic for the older seasons - hence, no mention of May or Dawn, etc. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this short.


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